Method of making shovels



May 7, 1946. R HARTE 2,399,800

METHOD OF MAKING SHOVELS Filed Jan. 14, 1944 I nven Z02": Ricfiaz'dliaWife,

Patented May 7, 1946 I UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE METHOD "OF MAKING SHOVEL'S Richard Harte, Rankersburg, W. Va, assignor to Ames Baldwin IW'yoming (30., Parkcrsburg,. W. Va., a corporation of Delaware Application J anuary 14, 1944, Serial No. 518,299

3 Claims. (Cl. 76--113) This invention relates to shovels and the object hand in the figure, a forwardly extending hanis to provide a shovel of strong and simple condie-receiving portion [0, an intermediate angular struction which may be made inexpensively and portion l2 and a forwardly extending distal porwith but little labor from simply produced parts. tion 14. The portions I and I4 are at such an While not limited thereto, the invention finds a angle as it is desired to have between the plane particularly advantageous application to the type of the blade bottom and the handle and the anof shovel known as a scoop which has a deep, gular portion provides the desired lift. bowl-like blade. Referring to Fig. 5, the blade body is formed My invention will be well understood by reierfrom sheet steel and may have the bottom l6 and,

ence to the following description taken in conin the case of a scoop as shown, a flange [8 about nection with the accompanying drawing wherein the two sides and rear of the bottom. A notch I have shown by way of example a particular form 20 is cut in the rear of the blade body through of shovel illustrative of its invention and the steps the flange and into the bottom for a suitable of its manufacture. In this drawing: distance. This notching, as it breaks the con- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a tubular tinuity of the outer portion of the metal blank blank; which is bent up to form the flange l8, permits Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of adeep bowl tobeformed.

Fig. 1; The width of the notch is such that the por- Fig. 3 is a view showing the portion of the shovel tion l4 and part of the portion l 2 of the tubular as made from the blank of Fig. 1 in an intermedi- 20 back-bone element shown separately in Fig. 4 will ate stage; fit therein in such manner that a line drawn be- Fig. 4 shows a further step in the development; tween the margins of the notch will extend Fig. 5 is a plan view on a reduced scale showsecantwise across the cross-section of the tube. V ing the blade proper or bowl of the shovel; Desirably the margins of the notch engage the Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan and longitudinal sec- Wall of the tube along a chord at the under side tion respectively of the finished shovel with the of the diameter since the projection of the back handle broken away; and bone at the bottom of the blade should not be Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 on a great. This arrangement also insures a firm conlarger scale. tact of the wall of the tube with the margins of Th h ve shown as an example of t inthe notch since the former may be pressed home vention comprises the blade proper and what may in h latterbe characterized as a tubular back-bone which When the parts have been so assembled the intersects the base or bottom of the blade and margins of the notch are united to the side wall the rear flange, if one is present, and gives stiffof the tube, the bottom Hi to the portion I 4, ness and an intermediate portion which serves 3 and the flange l8 to the portion I2, by fusion to give the proper lift to the shovel and an outer welding. This welding is preferably arc welding portion providing a handle-receiving socket. involving the deposit of extraneous metal w (see I believe the construction of the shovel will Fig. 8) forming fillets at the angles where the be most clearly understood if I describe in deblade body joins the tube at either side of the tall the preferred method of forming the same. latter.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I illustrate a length of cylin- The resultant shovel is very light and strong. drical tubing B having a continuous circumfer- A socket with unbroken circumferential wall to ential wall. Conveniently by means of the procreceive the handle is provided. The blade is ess known as cold swaging whereby the tube is strongly reinforced by the tubular. back .bone subjected to a large number of successive blows, provided by the portion H of the seamless tube the tube is brought into the form B1 shown in and the flange l8, when present, is also strongly Fig. 3 in which it is seen to have its forward end supported. The construction is light, comparing tapering in diameter while the wall of that end favorably with the so-called hollow-back shovel, is correspondingly increased in thickness and so but there is no hollow in the back to catch or strengthened. The forward edge is shown closed retain dirt. A deep scoop body may be made in Fig. 3 and this may be effected by the swaging easily when desired because of the notched conoperation or separately. struction, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Obviously the The modified tube B1 is then bent to goosemethod of manufacture as described is easy and neck form, as shown in Fig. 4, to provide, enumerinexpensive. ating from the open rear end, that at the right- I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

Iclaim:

1. A method of making a shovel or like tool which comprises bending a tube having a continuous circumferential wall and a closed end into goose-neck shape, cutting anotch through" the back of a blade, fitting the end portion of the tube into said notch and welding the margins'of the notch to the sides of the-tube by which comprises swaging a tube which has a continuous circumferential wall to reduce the outer diameter and thicken the wall thereof toward one of its ends, cutting a notch through the back of a blade, fitting said end portion of the tube into said notch and welding the margins of the notch to the sides of the tube by fusion of extraneous metal therewith. v I

3. The method of making a. shovel or like tool which comprises swaging a tube which has a continuous circumferential wall to reduce the outer diameter and thicken the wall thereof toward one end, and incorporating said end as the rear central portion of the blade proper with the other end of the tube projecting as a handlereceiving socket by presenting the palm-forming portion of the blade to the exterior wall of said end and securing it by welding.

RICHARD HARTE. 

